of the 'film explainer' who was sometimes used to narrate silent films, and it has also been seen as a model for the type of narration used by Orson Welles in The Magnificent Ambersons. Guitry also used the spoken word to present the actors and technicians as they are introduced on-camera at the start of the film, instead of the conventional printed credits. Reception Upon its release in France, the film met with a mixed reception, but it maintained a positive reputation among critics and film-makers as one of Guitry's best films; in 2008, it was even included in Cahiers du Cinémas list of the 100 most important films. The film was released in the UK and USA, and enjoyed significant success. In London, a reviewer for The Times commented on its elaborate narrative structure: "As always when the difficulties and disadvantages of a constricting technique are overcome, there is an effect of unity and precision which freedom cannot often give". When the film opened at the Academy Cinema in London in September 1937, it ran there for four months. Around the UK it was shown in 400 cinemas. In the USA, the reviewer for The New York Times described it as "witty, impudent, morally subversive" and commented, "Only a man of Guitry's impudence could have succeeded in making 'The Story of a Cheat' the clever picture that it is". References External links 1936 films 1936 comedy-drama films French black-and-white films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Sacha Guitry Films set in Monaco Films set in Paris Films about gambling Films about roulette French comedy-drama films 1930s French films